##Brain scans of people who’ve had #SARS-CoV-2 show a pattern of brain shrinkage that is distinct from normal aging. The orbitofrontal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus are the regions most likely to be affected post-#infection.

The ORBITAL FRONTAL CORTEX generates much interest because of some of the roles it is speculated to play in higher-order cognition, such as #DecisionMaking . It connects other regions of the brain to the sensory regions, #memory, and #emotion centers. Notable in #covid infections, this part of the brain processes #taste and #smell perception.

Cognitive functions usually associated with the orbitofrontal cortex include:

- Affective responses (emotional reactions)
- Decision making
- Impulse control

Damage to the orbitofrontal cortex may cause changes in social #behavior (how you interact with others and situations), decision making, and #personality.

People with damage to the orbitofrontal cortex may show -

MORE:
- Aggression
- Childish conduct
- Disinhibition
- Apathy
- Risky behavior

and LESS:
- #Motivation
- #Empathy / concern and for others
- Impulse control

Damage to the orbitalfrontal cortex may alter how the body reacts to emotions, leading to impulsivity and bad judgment. For instance, when making a bold decision, healthy patients exhibit physical symptoms of worry, such as sweaty palms. Patients with injury to the orbitofrontal cortex, however, did not.

Studies show that the orbitalfrontal cortex aids in forecasting decisions based on experience. If this part of the brain is damaged, people may make bad choices even though they are aware of the consequences.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, some people find that the changes in their brain make them feel happier, unnhibited, less prone to worry, and more animated.

https://practicalpie.com/orbitofrontal-cortex/

Lest you think that umami is mainly an "Asian" food thing, understand that this is a taste response to foods everywhere - the synergy between glutamate and inosinate (and/or guanylate) too
Here's an illustration ( from the excellent website with a ton of info; scroll down to synergy for this pic - https://www.umamiinfo.com/what/whatisumami/#cont02_area )

In case you know of umami but don't know about differences in response to glutamate (there's a lot in kombu) and inosinate (there's a lot in katsuoboshi) and guanylate (there's a lot in shiitake, especially dried) - know that there is a synergy between these.
Hence my mixing of the 3 for the dashi <technically 2 would have been ok>

Here's a good review article
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26247011/